1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an ink ribbon positioning system, and more particularly, to an ink ribbon positioning system for identifying various positions of a color ink ribbon of a color printer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art ink ribbon positioning system 10. The ink ribbon positioning system 10 is used for identifying the position of a color ink ribbon 11 of a color printer (not shown). The ink ribbon 11 is windingly installed inside a ribbon box (not shown), and comprises a plurality of dye blocks 12 arranged in a row. Each of the dye blocks 12 comprises three sequentially arranged transparent color frames 14, 16, 18 for placing yellow, magenta, and cyan dyes. The ink ribbon 11 further comprises a plurality of sequentially arranged strip areas 20, 22, 24 separately installed next to each of the color frames 14, 16, 18. The strip area 20 is an opaque area installed between the yellow and cyan color frames 14, 18. The strip area 22 has a top transparent portion and a bottom opaque portion and is installed between the yellow and magenta color frames 14, 16. The strip area 24 also has a top transparent portion and a bottom opaque portion and is installed between the magenta and cyan color frames 16, 18.
The ink ribbon positioning system 10 further comprises two light sources 26, 28 arranged along a vertical direction at one side of the ink ribbon 11, and two corresponding sensors 30, 32 installed at another side of the ink ribbon 11. The position of the ink ribbon 11 is identified through the strip areas 20, 22, 24. The detection of the strip area 20 by the sensors 30, 32 corresponds to the beginning of a new dye block 12 of the ink ribbon 11. The detection of the partially opaque area 22 or 24 by the sensors 30, 32 corresponds to the beginning of the magenta or cyan color frame 16, 18 of the ink ribbon 11. Because the ink ribbon positioning system 10 is installed with two sets of light sources 26, 28 and sensors 30, 32 for the detection of the position of the ink ribbon 11, it has a very high production cost.